


the worst possible ending (for everyone else)

by CutiePanther



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 23:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3547586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CutiePanther/pseuds/CutiePanther
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why would someone like Vector would be satisfied with only taking out Astral? That's not nearly enough, not for revenge or his own amusement.</p><p>(A one-shot based on/expanding the ending of Vector's story mode in the 3DS game.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	the worst possible ending (for everyone else)

**Author's Note:**

> Way late to the party here, but I bought the game recently, in Japanese, and while I love having this bad end as an option... I was a bit letdown, too. Felt like writing something to fill in and fix it a little, haha.

Those fools thought this was impossible; all the shocked, horrified faces focused on the aftermath of their duel tells him that clearly. But this isn't enough, defeating ZEXAL isn't the true final goal in his plans. However, that doesn't mean he can't dig at this 'wound' more, playing with his enemies further.

"Trying to scare me with that flashy transformation... but it was all for naught, huh?"

Vector may not have a mouth, but the sneer could be heard in his tone of voice nonetheless. Yuma makes a frustrated sound, and would surely be trying to glare at the Barian... if he had the strength to sit up, that is. Astral floats beside him, weakened and silent, flickering in and out of existence. The sight they make, defeated and pathetic, is pleasing; he doesn't even bother paying attention to the pack of idiot humans behind the boy until one of them wonders just what kind of fate awaits them and their world now.

As expected, threatening them was enough of a trigger to get Yuma moving. ' _Leave everyone alone,_ ' he begs, and oh how entertaining it is to hear! But why would he listen? He won, he has everything in two worlds under his control--ah, that's right, there _is_ something else to obtain.

These noble types always act so predictably. Threaten his friends, Yuma tries to take their place; threaten Yuma, and Astral does the same. Offering an alternative, claiming he'll leave the human world alone for the time being, if Astral comes along to the destruction of the world he exists to defend.

Such a cruel offer was accepted, of course, because of those stupid emotions that push people to try and save others. Astral believes that Yuma will be just fine on his own now, and Vector really finds that belief to be _hilarious_.

' _Too bad you won't see how wrong you are, Astral._ '

"Astraaaal!"

Yuma screams, Vector laughs, and the pair of otherworldly beings disappear into a portal. This should have been the end of it, the boy would get over that loss with time and have renewed will to fight once the Barians turned their gaze back to the human world... but that is not how this will go.

 

Shingetsu Rei doesn't 'find' Yuma until the boy is alone, his friends having left him be after enough failures at improving his mood.

"Yuma-kun."  
"...Shingetsu?"

That voice is enough to make him lift his head a little, red eyes staring with a semi-blank look until they focus on Rei. In the next moment, he's on his feet, hands grabbing at the other's uniform collar.

"Where were you?! At the WDC finals, that guy--Vector was... and A-Astral...!"

Rei's own hands move to pry Yuma's off his clothing, a more serious expression on his face now.

"Calm yourself, Officer Yuma, and don't blame your superior for your own failures. I wasn't there to help you because I had to hold off the _other_ Barians."

A lie, of course. 'Shingetsu Rei' wasn't present because he was _already_ there--as Vector. He could have made a clone for that role, it's true, but why bother? More 'support' for Yuma is detrimental to his plans. In any case, the reprimand and reminder of their unbalanced positions is enough to make the human boy step back, looking ashamed.

"...Y-yeah, you're right. My bad."

The orange-haired boy fixes his collar, still looking serious.

"As long as you understand, it's fine. Now, I'm aware of what happened to you, and in any other situation, I'd give you time to grieve--but this is the most worst-case scenario. We don't _have_ time to lose."

If he gives the boy time to recover, his fun will be ruined. Strike while the iron is hot, as the saying goes, and he'll certainly do so. Yuma looks at him with uncertainty, not quite frowning, but close.

"What are you talking about? You said you wanted to protect Astral, too..."

Rei said a lot of things, and they're _all_ bullshit. Not that he can reveal that to his 'subordinate' yet, though, so he puts on an expression of resigned sympathy, closing his eyes.

"That was my intention, and I had thought you capable of aiding me in that task, however..."

He left the remaining words to linger unsaid, obvious in their meaning: _Yuma_ failed _Astral_ , that isn't any fault of his. (Even if it is, since Rei is Vector. In time, in time, he'll realize that; and what a wonderful scene it will be!)

Silence follows, and purple eyes open a little, letting him get to see Yuma with his head bowed, having understood what he was saying and was hurt further by such words. Safely unseen due to that, the Barian smirks briefly before speaking up again.

"The Astral World is lost, but the criminals aren't going to stop there, Yuma. Vector said it, didn't he? His intentions for this world, too."

That makes the boy flinch, and Rei knows he has his attention. Yes, for his friends, he'll stand up again and again... persistent, stubborn, an utter fool that can't realize how easy it is to manipulate him with that angle. When those trusting red eyes look up at him again, he gives Yuma a small, reassuring smile.

"It's what Astral would have wanted, is it not? For you to not give up, to protect everyone like you have been doing, all this time."  
"Yeah... you're right, Shingetsu."

It's _so_ easy to play with humans... but this one in particular is exceptionally easy. It's entertaining, how much and how quickly Yuma can trust someone! No matter what he says, as long as he speaks kindly and reassuringly, the idiot accepts it without doubt. Getting him to agree to accompany him to the Barian World, explaining that Vector's 'accomplices' are in hiding there while the winged Barian is busy with the Astral World, was as easy as expected.

' _Because I'm your_ dear friend _Shingetsu, riight?_ '

What a good joke this whole situation is, really. A joke only he finds amusement in, sure, but a joke all the same.

 

Mizael knows what Vector's done, and the only reason he left that loose thread be until now was because he certainly couldn't take the blond's soul in the middle of that stadium. However, that doesn't mean he _won't_ take it, the time for doing so was simply... delayed. Knowing the dragon tamer, it's not hard to come to the conclusion that their stand-in leader, Durbe, was informed of Vector's 'betrayal'.

That's what he needs 'help' with. Namely, an idiot to take some hits for him, because taking on both of them alone is bothersome, even if he could definitely win. The extra powers he's gained lately ensure that, after all... right, Gilag? Alit?

Convincing Yuma to act quickly was for the purpose catching the pair before they could make any plans, too; it isn't _just_ for his own amusement.

"Hurry up, it's this way!"

Even in that world, he keeps the guise of this human shell for the time being; he still needs this naive boy on his side just a little longer. Yuma is dragged along by Rei, the scene almost resembling the type that happened every morning since they met... but their surroundings make it quite different. Furthermore, Rei doesn't take any 'shortcuts'; he knows exactly where to go, and as funny as it can be, a tired and disoriented 'friend' isn't what he needs right now.

They don't recognize him in this form, he expected that. What Vector _didn't_ expect was how utterly _embarrassing_ Yuma could be, going on about that ridiculous 'Barian's Guardian' lie. It was one thing when a 'secret' between them, but Rei has no reason to tell him to tone it down--they're dealing with the 'criminals' the nonexistent police force is after.

' _I can deal with it for now... I'll get him back for this, and everything else, afterwards._ '

Not only was the presence of Tsukumo Yuma in this world confusing to the pair, the nonsense he spouts was even more so. It made things easier, embarrassing though it was. Still, neither Durbe nor Mizael are weak opponents in the least; it's a bit of a relief that Yuma somehow kept the Numbers, despite Astral being gone.

' _That makes my earlier gifts not useless now, too._ '

Rei couldn't use his real deck, he had to keep up the act still; but at least the Sacred archetype is quite good. Between that and his 'friend's' help, he dealt with the last two of his targets with ease.

...It was that point when everything became obviously very, very wrong for poor, naive Tsukumo Yuma. Moving in an instant, 'Rei' stood in front of the two defeated Barians, and in that moment, seeing the kind of crazed, gleeful expression they were faced with, recognition was reached.

"You--"  
"Vector!"

He didn't let them say more than that, but it was enough. Vector stood there, his still human form glowing faintly as he absorbed the souls and power of the last two obstacles, looking back at the boy only when a confused call of 'his' name was made.

"..."

'Rei' smiles, turning around and walking back towards Yuma.

"You really helped me out a lot, _Officer_."  
"S-Shingetsu, they... they called you..."

Ah, that much is enough to make this boy wonder? And he thought Yuma was more _trusting_ of his _friends_. A shame, a shame... _not_. He intended to reveal all at this point, anyway. 'Rei' lets his smile shift to a sharp grin, enjoying how such a change causes the boy to flinch, looking at him in wide-eyed confusion and slight fear.

"I think I can tell you now, Yuma-kun... My _real_ name."

As he spoke, his voice starts off in the usual, light tone Yuma knows... but ends in a deeper one unfamiliar to his 'friend'--to be exact, unfamiliar coming from _Rei_. Yes, there's no more need to keep the fake name 'Shingetsu Rei'... and no need to keep pretending to be human, either.

His 'friend' can see his real _form_ now, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure how to make the little [1] thing for noting something, so yeah: while I mixed anime canon into the fic, I decided to keep Rei's deck being the game one instead of the anime-only Shining archetype. In Japan, the Constellar archetype is called 'Sacred', and I'd prefer not to mix and match names/terminology.
> 
> ...to be honest, this isn't where I wanted to end it, but I can't seem to write the rest of what I had in mind.


End file.
